28 agree? X refuse? X start reading?

Kurama was now genuinely intrigued. Jin was not the sort to speak without purpose, and Kurama never believed his invitation to seek the Crystal Featherbones was truly rooted in some nonsense about “your scent is too sorrowful.”

The silver fox crossed his arms, gazing calmly at the dark-haired man before him.

“Oh? What proposal?” His tone was unruffled, as though utterly indifferent.

Jin couldn’t help but wear a wry smile. “That’s why I hate dealing with clever people,” he muttered with a look of exasperation, ruffling his already wildly tousled hair. “I should let President Nedro, that old man, handle you. I bet you two would feel ‘regret for not meeting sooner’!”

Kurama remained unmoved, continuing to watch him.

Jin grew frustrated. He lowered his hand in defeat, then raised it again, making a gesture of surrender to Kurama. “Alright, I give up.” His voice was filled with resignation. “Though I think this ought to be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both of us, you clearly disagree.”

—It was obvious Jin hadn’t abandoned his attempt to seize control of the conversation until this moment, but Kurama’s composed reaction drew yet another deep sigh from him, and he finally realized he’d lost the battle.

Once Jin gave up, his manner became much more natural and smooth. “Actually, I simply want to make a profitable exchange with you.” Head drooping, Jin looked at the alluring summoner with an expression that said, “You’re really no fun.”

Kurama finally responded. “What kind of exchange?” he asked calmly.

Seeing Kurama respond, Jin rolled his eyes helplessly. “Always so calm—are you really just a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy?” he muttered under his breath, and before Kurama could raise a brow at him, Jin quickly redirected the conversation. “It’s a very fair exchange.”

“Look, I don’t know the specifics, but it seems you’re searching for something of considerable value, aren’t you?” “I don’t know the details, but with these Crystal Featherbones, I can guess enough.”

“As it happens, I know of a place that, while perhaps less famous and collectible than the Crystal Featherbones, holds items whose true worth is no less than these.” “So, let’s trade—you help me with something, and I’ll provide you with some of those items. How about it?”

As Jin spoke, his confidence seemed to return along with the exposure of those treasures. His eyes sparkled as he watched Kurama; the sunny expression on his face, so reminiscent of someone else, for a moment made Kurama hesitate to outright refuse.

The silver fox stood silent for a while. Regarding the “place” Jin mentioned, he already had some vague guesses, but he couldn’t imagine what could be so important as to prompt Jin to barter with the trial grounds specially crafted for his precious son.

Moreover, Kurama was now accustomed to the bizarre twists in his own experiences, so the sudden acceleration of events outside his original plan brought him a subtle sense of unease.

Noticing Kurama’s puzzlement and guardedness, Jin knew this deal would not happen without a proper explanation, even if he didn’t understand the reason for this reaction.

He laughed heartily again. “Doubt my motives? Actually, it’s quite simple.”

“You know G・I, don’t you?”

—Jin’s question confirmed Kurama’s earlier suspicions.

The silver fox nodded subtly, and listened as Jin continued:

“This game is said to be discontinued and is nearly impossible to acquire on the market. Its authenticity and the rarity of its items have made it highly coveted worldwide—of course, those privy to its true secrets aren’t ordinary people.”

“So, I’m not sure if you know: G・I is actually a genuine hunting game designed for hunters.” “Hunters use a special game terminal to transport themselves into the game’s ‘world,’ where everything is indistinguishable from reality—senses, life, and death alike.”

“In the eyes of those who know the truth, this game is extraordinary and precious, but few know its developer…”

“In fact, it’s me.”

“Of course, some friends of mine were also involved in its development; after completion, they took charge of its operation and maintenance.”

“And the reason I’m telling you this, Kurama, is because…someone very important to me—a child, perhaps in two or three years, will enter G・I to experience this game tailored just for him.”

“The game was finished when he was born, but after ten years, its conditions have changed from what I originally intended.”

“I have faith in this child, but I also…don’t want him to suffer any harm he can’t withstand.”

“So I need someone to test the current state of the game for me—is it still suitable for him? Is there anything that could hurt him in ways I dare not imagine?”

“Though I was the one who left him to grow on his own, though I said only through his own efforts could we meet again, still…”

“You understand that feeling, don’t you, Kurama?”

The expression on the dark-haired man’s face was tender yet conflicted; for a moment, Kurama suddenly understood the tangled nature of a father’s love for someone like Jin.

Yet his own face remained composed. “Even if I understand, so what?”

Jin was caught off guard by the question. “I hope you’ll be the tester.” He spoke plainly. “I haven’t seen all your abilities, but I’m certain you’re at least as strong as the child I mentioned. And judging by your appearance…you haven’t unlocked ‘Nen,’ have you?”

Kurama moved his lips but didn’t reply.

Jin didn’t seem to mind. “So you know about ‘Nen.’ I won’t ask why you haven’t awakened it—it’s your choice. But that’s precisely why I chose you—”

“That child will enter G・I in much the same state you’re in now, except…for ‘Nen.’”

“If you accept my proposal, not only can I send you into G・I and offer you those precious items afterward, I can also assist you in awakening ‘Nen.’”

“Don’t be fooled by my appearance; actually…when it comes to ‘Nen’ training, I have some skill.”

The man smiled confidently, not boastfully but assured.

Kurama furrowed his brows and fell silent once more.

＊＊＊

In the end, Kurama did not give Jin an answer immediately.

He indicated, deep in thought, that he needed to consider the matter carefully, and Jin acknowledged and respected his decision.

After collecting some Crystal Featherbones under Jin’s guidance, the two left the resting place of the birds. Jin remained silent, Kurama said nothing, and Mokona was unusually quiet—but the group moved in perfect harmony, unchanged from before. Both Kurama and Jin knew they would likely be traveling together for a while, at least until Kurama gave his final answer.

Jin’s current venture in the Sidis Forest had only just begun. He was here in search of a legendary beast thought extinct.

All external records and past research indicated this rare creature had vanished from the world, but Jin had a strong intuition that a small number still survived.

Intuition may sound dubious, but if the subject was Jin…

Kurama glanced sideways at the solemn man beside him and suddenly thought Tsuna was getting dragged into this—super intuition was truly a convenient gift.

With a simple change of identity, it became an essential trait for any protagonist. He wondered if Tsuna’s knees hurt from all the abuse…

His thoughts wandered wildly, but Kurama’s expression grew increasingly grave.

By nature, Kurama would never delay his answer to Jin for long. He might weigh pros and cons, but such deliberation usually lasted only a brief moment of rapid mental calculation. He could have settled things with Jin on the spot, rather than dragging it out for days.

So what was holding Kurama back? What was causing his hesitation?

—Simply put, it was the “rules.”

It might sound fantastical or difficult to grasp, so let’s use a simple example.

In the world of Yu Yu Hakusho, for the cast of story characters, or “those with special powers,” the rules manifested in each individual as “demon power” or “spiritual power.”

Talented people possess one of these two forces, using them as the foundation for combat and development of unique skills.

That is the rule of the Yu Yu Hakusho world.

In the world of Reborn!, once rules become tangible, they take the form of “flames.”

As with Kurama and his peers, people in Reborn! use special abilities by igniting flames of various attributes.

In theory, though the rules manifest differently across worlds, at their core, they should be essentially the same.

Thus, Kurama’s internal special energy—manifested as demon power in Yu Yu Hakusho—ought to be convertible into an equivalent flame in the Reborn! world. Moreover, Kurama could use that world’s training methods to increase his flame power, and when converting it back to demon power, he would enhance both his strength and his demon energy.

This was particularly significant for Kurama, who had lost most of his demon power at the time.

However, when Kurama tried to make this possibility reality…

The Dying Will Pills provided by Basil, which theoretically should trigger a flame state, failed to have the expected effect on Kurama.

At that moment, Kurama seemed to understand—the rules’ constraints on outsiders.

This was not about the world’s acceptance or rejection of a particular being, but rather that the manifestation of power could not be transferred between worlds.

The result was clear—Kurama’s strength in the Yu Yu Hakusho world could grow with time and diligent training, but not in other worlds.

He could neither master nor use the special powers of those worlds—such was the restriction of the rules.

Kurama’s hesitation was thus rooted in the fact that, even if Jin helped him awaken Nen, he would likely fail.

How would he explain that then?

In this world, not everyone could awaken Nen, but for Nen—a form of life energy—to fail to manifest when triggered…

Was he a spirit or a zombie?

Kurama had no desire to become an enemy of the world.

Or worse…a subject for research?

Pressing his lips together, the silver fox fell into unprecedented gravity and turmoil.

Author’s Note: First update of the day! Thank you to everyone who continues to support the official release!